Proverbs 20
1 Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
2 The fear of a king [is] as the roaring of a lion: [whoso] provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own soul.
The fear of a king [is] a growl as of a young lion, He who is causing him to be angry is wronging his soul.
3 [It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Cessation from strife is an honor to a man, And every fool interferes.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing.
The slothful does not plow because of winter, He asks in harvest, and there is nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draws it up.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
A multitude of men each proclaim his kindness, And a man of steadfastness who finds?
7 The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him.
The righteous is habitually walking in his integrity, O the blessedness of his sons after him!
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering all evil with his eyes,
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Who says, “I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed from my sin?”
10 Divers weights, [and] divers measures, both of them [are] alike abomination to the LORD.
A stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah, Even both of them [are] an abomination to YHWH.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [be] pure, and whether [it be] right.
Even by his actions a youth makes himself known, Whether his work is pure or upright.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
A hearing ear, and a seeing eye—YHWH has even made both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Do not love sleep, lest you become poor, Open your eyes—be satisfied [with] bread.
14 [It is] naught, [it is] naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, And then he boasts himself going his way.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge [are] a precious jewel.
Substance, gold, and a multitude of rubies, Indeed, a precious vessel, [are] lips of knowledge.
16 Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
When a stranger has been guarantor, take his garment, And pledge it for strangers.
17 Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
The bread of falsehood [is] sweet to a man, And afterward his mouth is filled [with] gravel.
18 [Every] purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
You establish purposes by counsel, And with plans you make war.
19 He that goeth about [as] a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
The busybody is a revealer of secret counsels, And do not make yourself guarantor for a deceiver [with] his lips.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
Whoever is vilifying his father and his mother, his lamp is extinguished in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Do not say, “I repay evil,” Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.
23 Divers weights [are] an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance [is] not good.
A stone and a stone [are] an abomination to YHWH, And balances of deceit [are] not good.
24 Man’s goings [are] of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, And man—how does he understand his way?
25 [It is] a snare to the man [who] devoureth [that which is] holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing, And to make inquiry after vows.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turns the wheel back on them.
27 The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
The breath of man [is] a lamp of YHWH, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
Kindness and truth keep a king, And he has supported his throne by kindness.
29 The glory of young men [is] their strength: and the beauty of old men [is] the gray head.
The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is grey hairs.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so [do] stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Blows that wound cleanse away evil, Also the scourges of the inner parts of the heart!
